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What’s Next?

By Steve Weisz

There’s no doubt that the world of
technology is extremely broad, and that it’s been woven into our day-to-day
lives in countless ways. Consumers now have capabilities at their fingertips
that not long ago would seem futuristic at best and something you would only
see in the movies.

Therein lies a difficult challenge
for our industry. Innovations in technology have created a higher standard of
expectation that you’re constantly measured by. I am sure that you have heard
something like:

“Why don’t you have
an app to do that?”

“How come I can’t
just do that online?”

“I should just be
able to do that on my phone.”

If your organization doesn’t
address issues such as these, you run the risk of becoming irrelevant in the
eyes of the everyday consumer.

But even if you do address today’s
requests, you get into playing a game of catch-up. This is because customer
needs evolve as quickly as technology develops new applications. Now, more than
ever, companies need to invest an increasing amount of time and resources just
to stay current and often have to forget about trying to be cutting edge.

From a business perspective, technology has been
game-changer, where advancements have given us amazing capabilities and
efficiencies that have allowed our industry to grow in vast and exciting ways.
Inventory management, cost and performance tracking to complex databases where
customer profiles, and vacation habits and preferences are at our fingertips.
These have all moved us into a new generation that has created revenue channels
and efficiencies that just 10 years ago would not have been possible.

If you are like me, you may find that the notion of embracing technology
can often be daunting, but there’s no turning back now. I encourage you to look
for your own ways on how to leverage it in amazing new ways!

The Umbrella Effect

By Peter Roth, ARDA

As our industry continues to
develop solutions for owners who believe their vacation ownership does not
match their present vacation plans, it is important to educate consumers about
the exit process and provide them with the resources to make an informed
decision. As we all can attest, the fraudulent misdeeds of companies targeting
many owners—especially senior citizens—have added a layer of confusion with
regard to our product.

While our industry leaders, ARDA-ROC,
and ARDA State Affairs staff rigorously work with state and local law
enforcement agencies to enact stricter consumer protections, it is virtually
impossible to control the actions of all bad players scamming our owners.
However, because those actions affect the entire industry, we can help share a
consistent set of guiding principles for a safe resale process across the
industry.

ARDA provides resale tips to help
navigate consumers through the exit process, which can be found on ARDA-ROC.org. We also make the
information available to owners who call our customer service portal directly
with inquiries, to regulators, and to other state agencies—as well as the
media.

Allies in the Trenches

By Charlene Small

Each month, our government affairs team shares
insightson
the latest issues, their strategy for continued successful advocacy measures,
and sometimes a glimpse into how they enjoy vacation. With this recent edition
of “Faces from the Frontlines” in Developments,
our team shared the spotlight with our advocacy allies across the United States
that are working tirelessly on behalf of ARDA, ARDA-ROC, and the timeshare
industry.

Many members might not realize that ARDA’s advocacy efforts are widely spread
at the ground level in every state, as well as on Capitol Hill. How does ARDA
reach all of these levels? By deploying strategic partnerships with legislative
consultants, attorneys, and lobbyists in each state or jurisdiction.

In October, about 20 lobbyists from all over the United States and Hawaii
travelled to Orlando, Florida, to meet with our federal and state government
affairs team in a special two-day retreat, in order to revitalize our advocacy
efforts for the quickly approaching 2017 legislative year. The retreat sought
to reenergize our impact in each region, as well as reconnect with our
advocates who are in the daily trenches of legislative issues on our behalf.

This retreat solidifies ARDA’s mission to promote the growthand development of the timeshare industry by
remaining actively involved in local, state and national governmental affairs
through monitoring regulatory issues that affect timeshare. Read what members
of our government affairs team had to say about this influential weekend in this
month’s edition of Developmentsmagazine.